[bobaroo]

I am fairly new to serious headphone listening so please bear with me. I like closed headphones(don't know if that matters here), when I am listening I feel as if the music is on top of my head or that I am in middle of the music or both. This is opposed to when listening to speakers that I would more be out in front. Is this just the nature of headphones or is it a equipment issue. I was using AKG 271's and a Meier Corda Airetta amp. I am in between phones for now and will be purchasing another pair.
 
Thanks Bob

 

[Sefelt103]

Closed headphones are slightly lower quality than open ones although you can be very high quality closed headphones. What you are refering to is what's called the soundstage of a headphone. I am actually the opposite in that I prefer an intimate soundstage ie. the sound is mostly inside. Often using an amplifier opens up the soundstage a little but the main factors are the design of the headphone and how the music is recorded. It can even be (though this is rarer) the source. I owned a Colorfly C4 that processed the sound to try and make heaphones seem like speakers by concentrating the sounds of instruments and presenting them more in front of the listener. This came at a price of slightly lower sound quality. Most sources/media players don't do this however. Often expensive headphones have large soundstages like the Sennheiser HD800, Grado GS1000 although i'm certain cheaper ones will also achieve this. My Sennheiser HD555s had a reasonable soundstage. Open headphones leak sound alot in exchange for their enhanced quality and there are even reference quality closed heaphones.

 

[Takeanidea]

Headphones draw you closer to the music. The speakers are closer to your ears than loud speakers. The detail in the music is more obvious although the sound might be arguably less natural. Closed sound more intimate open sound more natural, unless you are prepared to spend a lot of money or get extremely lucky. A far more sensible option would be to spend a few months listening to both types and finding your favourite sounding pair.

 

[selfmade23]

I have to agree that closed headphones help you feel closer to the music.  They really help you get in the zone and get away from everything going on around you.  In saying that, I think as long as you have your favourite music playing it doesn't matter what it's playing through cause it will still sound great.  Each to their own though in terms of perspective and opinions on sound quality.

 

[Shaffer]

Speakers, if properly setup, throw a well-defined soundstage in front of the listener. Headphones, by the nature of the beast, do not. The center image is in the middle of one's head - without software/circuit tweaks - and there is no traditional soundstage. One hopes for a more enveloping effect, which in the headphone world is referred to as a soundsatage. HTH

 

[Mink]

Ultimately speakers are the way to go, if money is no concern to you that is...
It would cost me 10 times the cost of a pair of good headphones to get me a system (and acoustically treated/isolated room that allows me to play loud enough to not bother neighbours) that'll give me a similar tonality, texture and details but with a better soundstage as a bonus.
I'll stick with headphones